Raya sakan!

Only a few days are left before Syawal approaches. While strolling and hopping from one shopping complex to another, we saw a zakat counter. Ahhh..yes! This is the thing (one of) we have been looking for! Kang bz shopping, ada yang lupa tanggungjawab pulak!

Allah says,

"Take from their wealth a sadaqah in order to purify them and sanctify them with it, and invoke Allah for them. Verily! Your invocations are a source of security for them".

[9:103]

Zakat is

• A transfer of posessions and not a favor or a gift, given by the owner to those who deserve it, in accordance with the Qur'an and the Sunnah.
• Considered In a Specified Portion of the wealth, determined according to specific principles.
• Not due on all types of wealth there are certain conditions that should be fulfilled in order not to pay zakat on one's wealth.
• Due on wealth that has fulfilled the nisab (limit of exemption or minimum amount of one's holding that is liable to zakat).
• Moneys collected that is disposed of in a specific way, to specific persons.
• Zakat is also purification from greed purification from greed, envy and greed.
• It serves to help the weak. It improves an individual's social spirit.
• It cleanses sins.
• It spreads tranquility and peace.
• It improves one's personality.
• It brings about love.
• It purifies wealth.
• It is a test from allah to his servants.
• It motivates hard work.

This year, (for the 2nd time) Sham paid for 3 people in the family. Last year, he shared with me about the pride he felt for paying the zakat.
Not riya' that he paid the small amount... but it's more on the fatherly and husbandly feeling that touched his heart most, for now he has two persons under his responsibility.

Oh yeah...baju raya hunting has only started for me. I thought it's okay to put it up till the last few days of Ramadhan, unfortunately not! Prices for one suit of 'baju kurung' for women could range from as cheap as RM39 up to hundreds.

Went to Jalan TAR/Masjid India- the most happening place for baju raya, tudung raya, kuih raya, bunga raya... eh, I mean...the flowers to be arranged in the vase.

I almost forgot what it was like joining in the mad shopping rush a few days before raya. It was crazy! But I believe it must be crazier by early next week, when they will just agree to any price just to let go off the things they sell.

After doing some shopping, I could see Sham pouting. He wasn't happy bcoz we didn't manage to find the baju raya I wanted (the combination of good colour, material, fashion & price) that we changed the plan and opt to other colours. Yet still I couldn't get two matching outfits, instead, we bought other things.

After iftar, the search continued and I bought another kebaya that suit Sham's baju Melayu. Yay! (Susah-susah je pegi jauh, yang dekat jugak aku beli)

As I fidgeted in front of the mirror around Sham, I danced and sang…

Mehndi laga ke rakna, doli saja ke rakna
Mehndi laga ke rakna, doli saja ke rakna

And my hubby who was busy inserting duit raya in the envelopes said... “Amboi! Notty ni."

Hmm…apparently, I failed to impress him or, at least to make him move an inch. Saja je nak kacau!

So, this time, with the long shawl... another song came out…
Bole chudiyan, bole kangana

Haay main ho gayi, teri saajna

This time, he said “Ni apa kena Sayang Abang ni? (What’s with u, dear?)”

Hahaha! At last… I managed to divert his attention >:)

Hmmm… I really like the baju raya I just bought. Without the outer top blouse, I could pretend to be Radin Ajeng Retno Putri Dumilah look alike. Wah! Very the perasan!

Cinta ini hakikatnya...

aku serahkan jiwa dan ragaku...

Ahhh... me & my Puteri Gunung Ledang obsession.

With a grin, Sham said… “Ni apa pulak ni? (What is it this time?)”

Konon-konon sulking, I made a forlorn look… siap ada soundtrack lagi...

Yeh hai tere karam, kabhi khushi kabhi gham
Na judaa honge hum, kabhi khushi kabhi gham

Sham just shook his head, yet still smiling he said “Don’t u wanna hear something that cut off ur excitement?”

“What is it?”

“Our little darling is asleep and neglected outside there (in the living room)”.

Hahaha. Now only he could see my true colours! Baru dia tau bini dia gila merapu macam ni. Of course la...

Raya last year, he didn’t have the chance to see me trying on baju raya excitedly bcoz I was on confinement. So, the gedik-ish in me were safely sealed :P

Raya 2006 - we were not yet married, so the fun was limited

Raya 2005 - we were just about to start the relationship, or to be exact…I was just starting to mengurat him. Hahaha.

Anyway, when we were small, Abah & Mak would take us all (Along, Acik & me) to Penang to buy the fabrics. That was if we were lucky. Sometimes, Mak would simply picked whatever ‘nice’ to her eyes but not to us (to me, at least). Her taste is obviously not in my list.

Until I was 14, I remember burning a hole in the sarung of my new baju kurung I detested while ironing it. Tunjuk protes la konon. Ambikkkk!!!!

I don’t like waiting for Mak at Kedai Bai (in Bazaar Chowrasta) as Mak would exercise her skills in haggling for hours and the place was so narrow you’d actually be doing dirty dancing to get from one place to another.

I tell U, Mak is really great at bargaining. Sometimes, I think not only that the sellers don’t get any profit, but they even lose! Pity them :P

Lucky me, at least I don’t get fabrics for the baju kurung from the same bale of material!!! Macam boria! Yone & Ina were the victims, as they were just a year apart. Hahaha.